
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean officials are struggling to determine what caused a deadly plane crash that killed 179 people, with the nation saddened, shocked and ashamed over the country's worst aviation disaster in decades. Many observers also worry how effectively the South Korean government will handle the aftermath of Sunday's crash as it grapples with a leadership vacuum following the recent successive impeachments of President Yoon Suk Yeol and Prime Minster Han Duck-soo, the country’s top two officials, amid political tumult caused by Yoon’s brief martial law introduction earlier this month. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Report: Iowa CB Jermari Harris opts out of rest of season
And with generative AI being used to supercharge some major cyber scams this year, it's also a good time to teach and not just fix. Here are some tips on how to manage your tech encounters this holiday season: Set devices up for automatic updates Whether it's Windows, macOS, iOS or Android, simply keeping your operating system and apps up-to-date will help protect your family's computers and devices against a surprising number of security threats, such as malware, viruses and exploits. Most operating systems, especially those for mobile devices and their app stores, typically have auto-updates turned on by default. Be sure to double-check the device to make sure it has enough storage space to carry out the update. (More on this below.) Keeping apps updated may also reduce the number of "Why isn't this app working?" type of questions from your relatives. Freeing up storage space Chances are someone in your family is going to have a completely full mobile device. So full, in fact, that they can no longer update their phone or tablet without having to purge something first. There are many approaches to freeing up space. Here are a few you can easily take without having to triage data or apps. Use the cloud to back up media: iPhone users can free up space occupied by songs and pictures by storing them on iCloud. Android users can use the Google Photos app to back up and store their photos on their user space. Clear browsing data: Each major browser has an option to clear its data cache — cookies, search and download histories, autofill forms, site settings, sign-in data and so on. Over time, these bits take up a significant amount of storage space on mobile devices and home computers. So cleaning caches out periodically helps free up space and, in some cases, improves system performance. What's my password? According to some admittedly unscientific studies, the average person has hundreds of passwords. That's a lot to remember. So as you help your relatives reset some of theirs, you may be tempted to recycle some to keep things simple for them. But that's one of the bad password habits that cybersecurity experts warn against. Instead, try introducing your forgetful family member to a password manager. They're useful tools for simplifying and keeping track of logins. And if you want to impress a more tech-savvy cousin or auntie, you could suggest switching to a more secure digital authentication method: passkeys. Educate your loved ones about the latest scams As scammers find new ways to steal money and personal information, you and your family should be more vigilant about who to trust. Artificial intelligence and other technologies are giving bad actors craftier tools to work with online. A quick way to remember what to do when you think you're getting scammed is to think about the three S's, said Alissa Abdullah, also known as Dr. Jay, Mastercard's deputy chief security officer "Stay suspicious, stop for a second (and think about it) and stay protected," she said. Simply being aware of typical scams can help, experts say. Robocalls frequently target vulnerable individuals like seniors, people with disabilities, and people with debt. So-called romance scams target lonely and isolated individuals. Quiz scams target those who spend a lot of time on social media. Check our AP guide on the latest scams and what to do when you're victimized. How fast is their WiFi? Home internet speeds are getting faster, so you want to make sure your family members are getting a high-speed connection if they've paid for one. Run a broadband speed test on your home network if they're still rocking an aging modem and router.Ram Charan's 'Game Changer' trailer to drop on January 1
Asian spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices gained this week, the first rise after three weekly declines, as the imminent expiry of a transit deal for Russian gas through Ukraine to Europe lent support to prices. The average LNG price for February delivery into north-east Asia (LNG-AS) was $14.10 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), up 6% from $13.30/mmBtu last week, industry sources estimated. Asian LNG prices have gained 20% this year and averaged $11.97/mmBtu in 2024. “The biggest thing people are keeping an eye on is TTF’s upward movement,” said Masanori Odaka, senior analyst at Rystad Energy, referring to the Dutch Title Transfer Facility (TTF) hub. He added that some industry participants were taking the expiry of a Russia-Ukraine gas transit contract at the end of this year as bullish news. Russian gas supply into Europe could affect prices on the TTF, which also has an impact on Asia LNG prices. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday there was no time left this year to sign a new Ukrainian gas transit deal, and blamed Ukraine for refusing to extend the agreement that also brings gas to Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Austria. “The other thing is a cold front potential in the U.S. which could end in a deep freeze like it did in 2021,” Rystad’s Odaka added. “Asia seems relatively well stocked, so below average to normal winter will not likely cause China, Korea or Japan to buy significant volumes in the spot market.” In Europe, delivered prices turned higher this week, mostly on continued uncertainty about the agreement to continue gas transit to Europe through Ukraine after the current deal expires, said Martin Senior, head of LNG pricing at commodity pricing agency Argus. “Weak wind generation forecasts in northwest Europe during the Christmas break and into the weekend also supported gas-fired generation demand,” he added. S&P Global Commodity Insights assessed its daily North West Europe LNG Marker (NWM) price benchmark for cargoes delivered in February on an ex-ship (DES) basis at $13.76/mmBtu on Dec. 24, a $0.20/mmBtu discount to the February gas price at the Dutch TTF hub. Argus assessed the price at $13.745/mmBtu, while Spark Commodities assessed the price for January delivery at $13.753/mmBtu. The U.S. arbitrage to Northeast Asia via the Cape of Good Hope for January is still currently closed due to the recent TTF rally, providing more incentive for U.S. cargos to deliver to Northwest Europe instead, said Spark Commodities analyst Qasim Afghan. In LNG freight, Atlantic rates held steady at $23,500/day, while Pacific rates fell to $21,500/day, added Afghan. Source: Reuters